Circulated Daily
To 90 Per Cent
Of Local Residents
THI f £
Jiattalion
Published By
A&M Students
For 75 Years
PUBLISHED DAILY IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
Number 204: Volume 53
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1954
Price 5 Cents
HAIL THE KING—Viv Wiening as Oedipus Rex, highlights the Aggie Players produc
tion of the Greek play. The play will be given tonight and tomorrow night in the
Memorial Student Center ballroom.
Three More Performances
Oedipus Rules in Ballroom
Uy JOHN AKARD
Battalion Staff Writer
Oedipus ruled in the ball room
of the MSC last night, but not for
Jong. “Oedipus Ilex,” the Greek
tragedy by Sophocles was Unfolded
in a creditable manner by the Ag
gie Players.
“Oedipus Rex,” the second pro-
iluction of the year by the players,
will be presented again tonight and
Wednesday night at 8:15. A mati
nee will be held at 3:15 today.
Tickets may be purchased at the
door.
Oedipus, king of Thebes, rules
until he finds out that, by a system
of mistakes, he has killed his fa
ther and married his mother. His
mother-wife hangs herself and
Oedipus, in remorse for his deeds,
Filing Begins Today
For Class Offices
Filing began today in the office
of student activities for the class
election.
The filing will continue until
Tuesday and the election will be
held April d.
The present senior class will
elect a class agent and an assistant
class agent. No requirements are
necessary to file for these offices.
The junior, sophomore and fresh-
ment classes will elect eight of
ficers each. Either military or non
military students may file. Those
filing must be academically class
ified with their class at the time
Of the election and must have a
1.0 grade point ratio.
The class of ’55 will also elect a
fitudent entertainment manager and
two yell leaders. The class of ’56
Ivill also elect two yell leaders.
Two Memorial Student Center
council members will be chosen in
the election.
The student entertainment
manager may be either military or
non-military. He must have a 1.25
grade point ratio, one years ex-
No Change Seen
In Ticket Prices
Athletic ticket prices for the
coming year will remain the same
said Barlow (Bones) Irvin, athletic
department administrative assist
ant.
“If the recent proposal of the
House Ways and Means committee
to reduce ticket taxes from 20 to
10 per cent passes Congress, the
Southwest Confei’ence would still
have to decide whether to reduce
prices,” said Irvin.
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POSSIBLE SHOWERS
Occasional light rains today with
continued cloudiness and possible
thunder showers. 1
High yesterday 73. Low this
pnorning 65.
perience on the student entertain
ment staff, and the consent of the
director of student activities.
The yell leaders may also be mili
tary or non-military and must have
a grade point ratio of 1.25.
The MSC council candidates may
file assording to the length of time
they have been at A&M. One candi
date who has been at A&M less
than four semesters, will be elected.
The other candidate will be chosen
from students who have been here
more than four semesters.
All other student elected offices
will be filled at the general stu
dent election next month.
Science Meet
Scheduled For
April 2-3
The Texas Acadamy of
Science will meet here April
2 3,
Dr. C. C. Doak, head of the
biology department, will be
coordinator for the meeting.
Invitations will be sent to high
school science teachers and stu
dents in the area, and to faculty
and students of all colleges with
in a 200-mile radius, Doak said.
Approximately 400 visitors are ex
pected.
The two-day meeting will be
divided into three sections; for high
school students, college undergrad
uates, and graduate students and
teachers.
“We want high school and college
science students to have their day
without detracting from a complete
and thoi'ough-going program for
mature scientists,” Doak said. “We
are going all out to make a great
occasion for academy ‘juniors’ con
sisting of high school students,
‘collegiates’, who are the under
graduate college students and
graduate students, as well as ma
ture scientists.
“In addition to programs for
each of these groups, there will be
a panel discussion, a banquet, field
trips, tours of inspection and ex
hibits, both commercial and scien
tific.
A noon picnic will be given for
the juniors and collegiates.
The progi'am for reporting re
search is being organized around
three sectional meetings. They are
physical and earth sciences, biologi
cal sciences, and social and con
servation sciences.
Charles LaMotte of the Biology
Depai'tment is in charge of the
collegiate program, and J. G. Pot
ter, head of the Physics Depart
ment, is in charge of the junior
program.
puts his eyes out. He is banished
from the kingdom by his brother-
in-law, Creon, who then becomes
king.
Vic Wiening trained the chorus
as well as playing a convincing
Oedipus. He was especially good
in the last scene where Oedipus,
broken and blind, is banished by
Ci'eon. Rick Black probably dis
played the easiest manner in his
portrayal of Creon.
The Greek chorus is a little un
familiar to A&M theater goers, but
it was well trained and carried
out its part admh’ably.
Gene Stubblefield did an excel
lent job as Tiresias, a fortune tell
er, and Mary Mackin seemed very
natural in her role as Jocasta, the
wife of Oedipus.
Raoul Roth and his crew of stage
hands did a good job in creating a
combination of the Greek amphi
theater and the theater-in-the-
round. The use of subdued and
colored lighting proved very effec
tive.
The play commanded the atten
tion of the spectators for almost
an hour and a half. It moved
rapidly from one scene to another
without a break, building up in
the audience a nervous tension.
The lack of an intennission was
probably the greatest weakness
of the production. The players
were not aware until the end of
the play that the audience was en
joying the show. The actors did
not have the relaxed feeling that
a little applause at intermission
would have brought — and they
would certainly have gotten the
applause. An hour and a half is
too long for on the cast to be
under the constant strain and too
long for an audience to sit com
fortably.
The actors were not allowed a
much deserved curtain call at the
end of the play. They seemed
most appreciative for those few
who went “back stage” after
the show to congratulate them.
An introduction to the play, writ
ten by Dr. T. F. Mayo, is certainly
a boon to those who are not fa
miliar with the plot or with Greek
drama.
The play is under the direction
of C. K. Esten.
Senior Class To Choose Gift
In Special Election Tomorrow
Manitzas Voted
Vice President
Of Journalists
George Manitzas, s o p h o-
more petroleum engineering
major, was elected vice-pres
ident of the Southwest Jour
nalism Congress in Stillwater,
Okla., Saturday. Manitzas is city
editor of The Battalion.
Fifteen A&M students attended
the three-day meeting, which dealt
with problems of college newspa
pers.
The Congress voted to form a
Committee on Freedom of the Col
lege Press, composed of the editors
of student newspapers at the 13
member schools of the organiza
tion.
The committee would assist any
member newspaper that had
trouble with censorship at its
school.
The members of the congress
felt that such a committee was
necessary because several member
schools, including A&M, had had
censorship trouble during the past
year.
A&M students who attended the
meeting were Bob Alderdice,
Wayne Dean, Jim Ashlock, Jerry
Wizig, Bill Shepard, Joe Hipp, Roy
(Connie) Eckard, Gardner Collins,
C. C. (Chuck) Neighbors, Harri
Baker, Bob Hendry, Ed Fries, Paul
Savage, Bob Boriskie, Jim Collins
and Manitzais.
Constitution Approved;
Goes to Dean of Men
The senior class voted last night to select the class gift in
a special election Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the
Memorial Student Center.
After considerable discussion on what the class should
give to the college, it was decided that an election be held
because not enough seniors were present at last night’s meet
ing.
Suggestions to be voted on Wednesday are a donation to
be used for construction of a new wing on the MSC, setting
up a loan fund to be handled by the student loan office, three
voting machines, an east gate memorial, and a scoreboard for
Kyle Field. The class has about $1,500 to spend for a gift.
♦ If the committee on the
class gift thinks there is a
need for a run-off after the
election, one will be held in
the near future .
The class also accepted a consti
tution. The constitution must be
approved by the dean of men. Aft
er it is approved by the administra
tive officials, it will be official. If
any changes are made, it will have
to be ratified again by the class.
Copies of the constitution were
given to those present at the meet
ing. The constitution committee is
headed by Harold Kupler.
Balt Editors
Take Over;
Name Staff
Bob Boriskie, junior journ
alism major from Bryan, and
Harri Baker, junior journalism
major from Memphis, Tenn.,
took over today as editors of
The Battalion.
They were elected in a speci
al election Wednesday. Bor
iskie, who will be non-corps
editor, received 71 votes.
Baker, who will be corps
editor, received 151 votes.
Staff positions appointed by
the new editors include Jon
Kinslow as managing editor,
Cuhck Neighbors as sports ed
itor, and George Manitzas as
city editor.
Defense Officials
flea rMorga n 9 Da vis
President David H. Morgan and
Col. Joe E. Davis, commandant,
conferred Friday with defense de
partment officials on the new
armed forces reserve program now
being drafted.
Morgan and Davis presented
their ideas on ROTC training to
Pentagon officials. Several weeks
ago, Morgan asked the officals to
consider giving military colleges
special pi’iviliges, including in
creased subsistence pay, assurance
of commissions, and unlimited en
rollment quotas.
Morgan said last night that he
could not release the results of his
meetings with the military of
ficials.
According to the Associated
Press, Rep. Olin Teague of College
Station said Friday that the armed
services expect to have a new
ROTC program ready to submit to
President Eisenhower in April.
Morgan and Davis attended a
meeting of A&M former students
in the Washington area Thursday
night.
Harold Dunn of Amarillo, presi
dent of the Shamrock Oil company
and head of the Former Students
association, flew a group of per
sons to the meeting in Washington.
They included Chancellor M. T.
Harrington, A. F. Mitchell, D. E.
McQuillen, O. T. Hotchkiss, Charles
Babcock, and J. B. (Dick) Hervey,
secretary of the FSA.
Mrs. Robert Anderson
Dies in Houston
HOUSTON, March 23—(A>)_Mrs.
Robert Anderson, 25, died yester
day in a Texas Medical Center
Hospital. She had been ill about
a year.
The former Mary Munnerlyn,
Mrs. Anderson was a native of
Bryan. Her husband and a young
son survive.
(Composite Ball F eatures
Western-Style Costumes
Costumes representing the
plantation attire of the old South
west will be the main feature of
the First Composite Regimental
ball Saturday.
Clothing such as boots and spurs,
plantation attire and other
costumes representing the South
west will be worn. Both freshmen
and upperclassmen of the first
composite regiment will attend.
Free soft drinks will be served.
The Fish ball will be held Fri
day. Freshmen are excused from
call to quai’ters Friday night for
the dance and are free on pass
from Saturday noon to 8:30 a. m.
Sunday.
“We have not decided on a
orchestra for either dance yet but
we will have one by Thursday,”
said James Goode, freshman class
vice president.
The Composite ball is designed
to get away Horn the routine
dances and give the Aggies and
their dates something different,
said Vic Kennedy, commander of
the first composite regiment.
“It will be the first ball of its
type here at A&M. One of its pur
poses is to demonstrate the ability
of freshman and upperclassmen
to work together. I think it will
help to consolidate the corps,” said
Kennedy.
Abbott To Speak
To Gulf Engineers
Dr. J. P. Abbott, dean of the col
lege, Texas A&M College, will
speak Mai-ch 23 on “Trends in
Engineering Education” at the re
cently organized Gulf Coast chap
ter of the Texas Society of Profes
sional Engineers in Fr-eeport.
He is a member of the executive
committee of the humanistic-so
cial division of the American So
ciety for Engineering Education.
He will discuss the preliminary re
port of the Society’s Committee on
the Evaluation of Engineering
Education.
Thomas Honored
At Livestock Show
Dick Thomas, sophomore animal
husbandry major from Banquete,
was grand champion showman at
the Little Couthwestern Livestock
show Saturday.
By placing class, Thomas com
peted with three other fii’st place
winners to be judged champion
showman of the swine show.
Saturday night the champion
showman of the swine, horse, sheep
and beef cattle shows competed for
the grand champion showman of
the show. Thomas won and re
ceived a certificate for a hand
made pair of boots to be made at
Holicks Boot Shop.
Before entering A&M, Thomas
was member of the Nueces county
4H club.
Traditions Book Written
Jimmy Tyree, chairman of the
traditions committee, reported that
a book has been drawn up and is
now being readied for printing.
The book will be called the “Ca
dence.”
“The new book is much like the
old ‘Cadence’ but there is nothing
in it that can be called hazing,”
Tyree said. “The book contains
such things as uniform privileges,
yells and Aggie slang.”
Pat Wood, president of the class,
said they will have a book which
will be accepted by the administra
tion, the military, and the corps.
On a motion by Fred Mitchell, a
stag senior function was author
ized. Details of the function will
be handled by the social secretary,
and it will not be held on a Friday,
Saturday, or Sunday.
Grass Problems Discussed
A motion was made to reinstate
the tradition that would make it a
senior privilege to walk on the
grass. It was felt that such a
regulation was needed because of
the landscaping being done around
the Academic building.
Mitchell then explained that a
path was being cut in the esplanade
between the dormitories in the new
area. He said this path was being
made by students in dormitories
two and four who were eating in
Duncan dining hall.
“The few seniors that walk on
this gi'ass don’t hurt it too much,”
he said. “It’s mainly the students in
dormitories two and four.”
Tyree said that there was no
way to prevent the non-military
students from walking on the
grass. However, he said he thought
the matter “could be handled by
common courtesy because we don’t
want to destroy the grass.”
Mitchell added, “It is the duty
of the cadet officers to protect col
lege property, and the grass is
college property.”
The matter was referred to a
committee.
The class also heard a report
from the Student Life committee.
Miss Jane McBrierty, Aggie sweet
heart, was chosen as senior class
duchess for the Cotton ball.
Air Force Sets
‘Jockey I fop’
As Annual Ball
The Jet Jockey Hop will be
held in the Grove April 24.
It is this year’s version of
the Air Force ball and will
carry the theme, “Every Man
a Tiger.” The dance will be in
formal.
Eddie Thompson has been ap
pointed to head the dance commit
tee. Hollie Briscoe and Phil Ja
cobs will be in charge of the tick
ets. The programs will be pre
pared by Duane Scott and Joe
Warrick.
Bill Wiseman and Jim Burns will
handle the decorations and Phil
Orr will be in charge of guests.
The publicity will be directed by
Mel Holubec and John C. Akard.
A sweetheart for the air force
will be selected at the dance. Burt
Holdsworth and Terry Wilson are
in charge of the sweetheart con
test.
Col. John A. Way, PAS&T, and
Pete Hardesty, assistant director
of student activities, are the ad
visors for the committees.
Slide Rule Contest
Set for Thursday
About 80 contestants are expect
ed for the 26th annual slide rule
contest at 8 a. m. Thursday in the
electrical engineering lecture room.
The 50-minute contest will con
sist of 60 problems, judged on both
speed and accuracy.
“It is possible for a contestant
to finish in the time available”,
said J. H. Caddess, chairman of
the contest, “but never has the
first man to finish also made the
highest score.”
He said contestants should go
fast, but also be accurate.
The contestants are in the top
10 per cent of their slide rule
classes.
Besides 20 plaques to be present
ed to the winners of the contest,
each entry will receive a com
mendation from the head of his
department and a cast aluminium
souvenior of the contest.
Contestants who must miss a
class to participate in the contest
will be given official excuses.
School Election Is
In Progress Now
Absentee balloting for two mem
bers of the A&M Consolidated
School Board of Trustees is now
in progi-ess, with the election to be
held Saturday, April 3.
Running in the election are
Henry L. Allen and E. E. Brown,
both present members of the school
board.
The absentee balloting, under
the direction of J. J. Skrivanek,
high school principal, will continue
until March 31.
Petitions for placing names on
the ballot must be filed by today
with election judge P. L. Downs
Jr.
R. E. Leighton is also running
for re-election Consolidated repre-
sentitive to the Brazos County
School board.
Members of the school board
whose terms do not expire this
year are C. A. Bonnen, J. S.
Rogers, Milton Williams, Ernest
J. Redman jr. and Donald M. Vestal
jr.
NEW CO-EDITORS—Bob Boriskie, left, and Harri Baker,
right, were named Battalion co-editors in a special election
Wednesday. They assume their duties with this issue of
the paper. Both are junior journalism majors.
AGE WINS VICTORY
CHARLESTON, W. Va.—GP)—
When a man from an isolated sec
tion of the county came in to pay
his taxes, he put down two of the
“blanket” style $20 bills which the
government took out of circulation
back in 1933.
The young fellow behind the
cashier’s window, a mere lad of
25 or so, eyed the bills skeptically.
Called in for consultation, Chief
Tax Deputy Ansel Umberger said:
“Nothing wwong with those
notes, they’re just a little aged,”
and swept them into the till.
The taxpayer triumphantly pock
eted his receipt and swaggered
away.